Bed for persons having physical disability



Aug. 1967 s. w. BEITZEL 3,336,606

BED FOR'PERSONS HAVING PHYSICAL DISABILITY Filed March 24, 1966 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l j Y 2 2O INVENTOR.

STUART w. BEITZEL BY Cf fiW ATTORNEY 22, 1967 s. w. BEITZEL I 3,336,606

BED FOR PERSONS HAVING PHYSICAL DISABILITY Filed March 24, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 32 27 2g 4; fl? 5:0 ,22 I IOf W5 62 n H 2| |s I '28 75 65 8 i w 1 Y 6 mm 6 INVENTOR 9 IO ll I2 42 43 STUART W. BEITZEL BY arW- ATTORNEY 1967 s. w. BEITZEL 3,336,606

BED FOR PERSONS HAVING PHYSICAL DISABILITY Filed March 24, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. STUART W. BEITZEL BY 440M ATTOR NEY United States Patent 3,336,606 BED FOR PERSONS HAVING PHYSICAL DISABILITY Stuart W. Beitzel, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Lite Hospital Equipment, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 537,235 9 Claims. (Cl. 68)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bed having a main frame supported on the floor, and an intermediate frame supported on the main frame by a scissors arm construction. The scissors arm construction raises and lowers the intermediate frame and includes a link unit connected between a point on the intermediate frame and the intersection of the scissor arms. A mattress support unit is pivotally supported on the intermediate frame for tilting movement between horizontal and vertical positions. The mattress support unit is divided into three pivotally interconnected sections which are movable relative to each other. A power operated elevator platform is movable along the foot end of the mattress support unit for raising and lowering a patient standing thereon when the mattress support unit is vertical.

Background of the invention The invention relates to the field of hospital beds wherein it is desirable to provide a bed which is capable of many positions and motions, as distinguished from a bed which merely provides a stationary horizontal mattress.

The state of the prior art includes beds having a mechanism for tilting the mattress between horizontal and vertical positions. However, such beds either are not capable of adjusting the height of the mattress, or at best are only capable of such height adjustment by means of complicated motions requiring action of the mattress-tilting mechanism. Other prior art beds are specifically designed to provide direct adjustment of the height of the mattress, but such beds are not capable of tilting the mattress between horizontal and vertical positions. The prior art also includes the general concept of using a type of scissors action to raise and lower various types of platforms. In addition, the prior art includes a power operated footboard on a bed, but the mattress on such bed cannot be positioned vertical, and therefore the footboard cannot operate, as the elevator in this invention, to raise and lower a patient when the mattress is vertical.

Summary of the invention The purpose of the invention is to provide a bed having improved ability to provide a Wide variety of positions and motions in a simple and efficient manner.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a simple mechanism for tilting the mattress between horizontal and vertical positions and a simple mechanism for adjusting the height of the mattress independently of the tilting mechanism. One of the benefits of this arrangement is that it permits the tilting axis to be placed in a substantial distance rearwardly from the foot of the mattress toward the center of gravity of the mattress so that decreased force is required to tilt the mattress. The rearward placement of the tilt axis is, of course, also possible in the absence of means for raising and lowering the bed. However, when the tilting axis is rearward it must also be as high off the floor as it is rearward from the foot of the mattress, so that the mattress can be tilted without striking the floor before it reaches the vertical position. Thus, when the tilting axis is substantially rearward, the mattress must be abnormally high. In accordance with the invention, the mattress in horizontal attitude can be positioned at a normal bed height and then raised prior to tilting action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bed with a vertically tiltable mattress with a power operated elevator platform at the foot of the mattress for raising and lowering a patient when the mattress is vertical.

By way of brief description, a bed made in accordance with the invention comprises a main frame with legs for supporting it on a floor. An intermediate frame is connected to the main frame by means of an improved scissors action for adjusting the height of the intermediate frame with respect to the main frame, independently of any other movement of the bed. A mattress support unit is connected to the main frame on a main pivot axis, and means are provided for turning the mattress support unit about the main pivot axis between horizontal and vertical positions. The mattress support unit comprises a head section, a foot section, and an intermediate section all pivotally interconnected for tilting movement relative one to the other. An elevator platform is moveably connected to the foot section, and power operated means are provided for moving the elevator platform along the foot section to raise and lower a patient standing on the platform when the mattress support unit is in the vertical position.

The various objects and features of advantage of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the bed showing the intermediate section in lowered position, with the mattress support unit horizontal;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View showing the intermediate section in raised position, with the mattress support unit horizontal;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing the intermediate section in raised position with the mattress support unit vertical;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the bed as shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view on enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, but with the mattress support unit tilted partially rearward; I

FIGURES 6 and 7 are cross sectional views on enlarged scale taken on the lines 6-6 and 77, respectively, of FIGURE 4, but with the mattress support unit horizontal. In FIGURE 7 the elevator platform is shown in various positions of adjustment;

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the elevator platform.

Referring in more detail to the drawings a bed according to the invention comprises a main frame 1 having longitudinal side runners 2 and 3 supported on conventional caster wheels 5. The side runners are interconnected by a head 8 and transverse members 9, 10, 11 and 12. The main frame is open at its forward end, as seen in FIG- URES 1 and 7.

The bed also comprises a mattress support unit 16 which is adjustably connected to the main frame 1 through an intermediate frame 17, as will be hereinafter described in detail. The mattress support unit comprises a head section 18, an intermediate section 19, and a foot section 20. A mattress 21 is supported on the mattress support unit. A side arm 22 is preferably positioned on each side of the mattress support unit and attached to the intermediate section by supporting bars 23. The arm structure is not a part of the present invention and is not claimed herein.

The connection between the main frame 1 and the intermediate frame 17 will now be described. A pair of scissors arms 26 and 27 on each side of the bed are pivotally interconnected by a pivot bar 28. The scissors arm structure is the same on each side of the bed and therefore the description'of one side will apply also to the other side. The forward end of scissors arm 26 is pivotally connected to the transverse member 12 by a pivot 29, and the forward end-of scissors arm 27 is pivotally connected to a transverse member 30, which is part of the intermediate frame 17. The intermediate frame 17 is formed of two side members 31 and 32 which are interconnected by the transverse member 30 and by a second transverse member 33. In top plan view (FIGURE 4) the transverse member 30 has a bulge portion 30 for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and the lower transverse member 12 is similarly shaped. The rearward end of scissors arm 26 has rotatably connected thereto a roller 34, and the rearward end of scissors arm 27 has rotatably connected thereto a roller 35. Roller 34 rides in a channel shaped guide 36 attached to the side member 32, and roller 35 rides in a channel shaped guide 37 attached to the frame runner 3.

In order to raise and lower the scissors units, and thereby raise and lower the intermediate frame 17, a first link member 40 is connected to the pivot rod 28. Since the rod 28 is pivotally received by arms 26 and 27, the connection between link 40 and the rod 28 can be rigid. A second link member 41 is pivotally connected at one end to link 40 and at the other end to the transverse member 30 on a pivot axis coaxial with the pivot axis for the forward end of arm 27. A cylinder and piston unit 42 has one end pivotally connected to link 41 and its other end pivotally connected to a bracket 43 secured to the transverse members 11 and 12. The links 40 and 41 and the cylinder unit 42 are the same on both sides of the bed. Thus, as the cylinder and piston units 42 are contracted in conventional manner by fluid pressure, the intermediate frame 17 will be lowered, and when the units 42 are expanded the frame 17 wil be raised. When the intermediate frame is lowered from the position shown in FIGURES and 6 the rollers 34 and 35 on each side of the bed will obviously move rearwardly in the channel members 36 and 37. The intermediate frame can of course be stopped anywhere between its fully raised and fully lowered positions. The raised position of the intermediate frame 17 is at least high enough to permit the mattress support unit 16 to be positioned vertically as shown in FIGURE 3. When the frame 17 is in its lowered position, the mattress support unit 16 could not be raised vertical because it would strike the floor.

In order to move the mattress support unit 17 between its horizontal and vertical positions, the intermediate section 19 is mounted on a pivot pin 45 on each of the side members 31 and 32. The desired position of the intermediate section is selected by expanding or contracting a cylinder and piston unit 47 as shown in FIGURE 6. The unit 47 has one end pivotally connected between a pair of brackets 48 which are secured to the transverse member 30. The other end of cylinder unit 47 is pivotally connected to a bracket 49 attached to the under surface of the intermediate section 19. There is an identical cylinder unit 47 and associated brackets 48 and 49 on each side of the bed. When the cylinder units 47 are expanded in conventional manner by fluid pressure they will rotate the intermediate section clockwise from the horizontal position, and then back to horizontal when the units 47 are contracted. The intermediate section can of course be stopped anywhere between horizontal and vertical, and is preferably capable of slight tilt counterclockwise below horizontal.

In order to be able to pivot the mattress support sections 18 and 20 relative to the intermediate section 19, the sections are interconnected by piano hinges 52 and 53 as seen in FIGURE 6. The foot section 20 is moved to and held in the desired position by a cylinder and piston unit 54 having one end pivotally connected to a bracket 55 on the intermediate section 19 and having the other end pivotally connected to a bracket 56 on the foot section 20. As is evident from FIGURE 6, contracting the cylinder unit 54 will lower the foot section 20 from the horizontal pisition shown, and then expanding the unit will raise the foot section back up to horizontal. Any intermediate position is of course selectable.

The head section 18 is moved to and held in the desired position by a cylinder and piston unit 58 FIGURES 4, 6 and 7 having one end pivotally connected to a bracket 59 on the intermediate section 19 and having the other end pivotally connected to a bracket 60 on the head section 18. As will be understood from FIGURES 6 and 7, expanding the cylinder unit 58 will raise the head section 18 from the horizontal position shown, and then contracting the unit will return the head section to horizontal. Any intermediate position is of course selectable.

It will now be understood that the described bed construction provides selective movement in a variety of modes. More specifically, the intermediate frame 17 is movable vertically with respect to the main frame 1. The mattress support unit 16 is pivotal as a unit on the intermediate frame, and the head and foot sections are pivotal with respect to the intermediate mattress support section 19. A conventional motor and pump unit 62 is mounted on the transverse members 9 and 10. Conventional valves and flexible tubing (not shown) are connected between unit 62 and the various cylinder and piston units.

In order to be able to raise and lower a patient for entering or leaving the bed, an elevator platform 65 is provided. As shown best in FIGURES 7-9, the platform comprises a transverse step 66 attached to two side plates 67. The structure is reinforced by a bridge unit comprising a transverse bar 68 and braces 69. Each of the side plates has two rollers 70 pivotally mounted on the inside face thereof. When the elevator platform is mounted on the foot section 20, the rollers 70 ride in U-shaped guide channels 71 on the opposite sides of the foot section. As shown in FIGURE 8, the foot section 20 is made of peripheral panels reinforced by longitudinal stringers 72 and 73. The sections 18 and 19 are preferably similarly constructed. The foot section has an end plate 74 which keeps the mattress 21 from slipping off when the mattress support unit is vertical. In order to move the elevator platform 65, a cylinder and piston unit 75 is provided. The cylinder unit 75 has one end pivotally connected to a bracket 76 attached to the foot section and has its other end pivotally connected to a bracket 77 connected to the transverse bar 68. The bulge 30 in the transverse members 30 and 12 accommodates the cylinder unit 75 when the foot section is vertical. In order to move the elevator platform upwardly along the foot section the cylinder unit 75 is contracted, and to move the platform toward the foot of the foot section the cylinder unit 75 is expanded. As shown in FIGURE 7 the cylinder unit 75 is preferably a double acting unit having fluid ports 79 and 80 at opposite ends and an interposed piston 81 so that fluid can be selectively delivered to and removed from both sides of the piston by means of conventional valving (not shown). It should be understood that all of the cylinder and piston units are preferably double acting like unit 75. When it is desired to raise the platform 65, high pressure fluid from the pump unit 62 is delivered to port 80, and when the platform is to be lowered, the fluid is slowly vented from port 80. The unit fluid pressure provided by the pump unit 62 must be sufficiently high that the resultant fluid force on piston 81 will be more than the weight of the intended patient.

A patient enters the bed in the vertical position shown in FIGURE 3, with the elevator platform 65 lowered to floor level. Next, with the patient standing on the elevator platform, the platform is raised to place the patients head at the normal position near the end of the head section 18. Then the mattress support unit 16 is pivoted counterclockwise to the horizontal position shown in FIG- URE 2. The platform 65 would then normally be returned to the end of the foot section 20. Subsequently, the mattress support unit can be raised or lowered and its various sections 18-20 can be adjusted as desired. When a patient leaves the bed, the mattress support unit is first made horizontal and placed in the raised position shown in FIGURE 2. Next the platform 65 is moved along the foot section until it comfortably engages the patients feet. Then the mattress support unit is slowly turned to the vertical position shown in FIGURE 3. The elevator platform, with the patient standing thereon, is then lowered to the floor, and the patient can be step off with minimum exertion.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described herein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein Without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bed comprising a main frame, an intermediate frame, means connecting said intermediate frame to said main frame for vertical adjustment relative to said main frame, a mattress support unit having a head section, a foot section, and an intermediate section all pivotally connected together, power operated means for rotating said head and foot sections relative to said intermediate section about said pivotal connections, main pivot means connecting said intermediate section to said intermediate frame, power operated means for rotating'said intermediate section about said main pivot between substantially horizontal and vertical positions, said means for rotating said head and foot sections being operable to make said head and foot sections substantially coplanar with said intermediate section in both said horizontal and vertical positions, an elevator platform, means movably connecting said platform to said foot section substantially normal thereto and adjacent the free end thereof, and power operated means for moving said elevator platform along said foot section toward and away from. said intermediate section, said power operated means being sufiiciently powerful to raise a patient standing on said platform.

2. A bed comprising a frame, a mattress support unit having a head section, a foot section, and an intermediate section all pivotally connected together, power operated means for rotating said head and foot sections relative to said intermediate section about said pivotal connections, main pivot means connecting said intermediate section to said frame, power operated means for rotating said intermediate section about said main pivot between substantially horizontal and vertical positions, said means for rotating said head and foot sections being operable to make said head and foot sections substantially coplanar with said intermediate section in both said horizontal and vertical positions, an elevator platform, means movably connecting said platform to said foot section substantially normal thereto and adjacent the free end thereof, and power operated means for moving said elevator platform along said foot section toward and away from said intermediate section, said power operated means being sufficiently powerful to raise a patient standing on said platform.

3. A bed comprising a frame, a mattress support unit having a head section, a foot section, and an intermediate section all pivotally connected together, power operated means for rotating said head and foot sections relative to said intermediate section about said pivotal connections, main pivot means connecting said intermediate section to said frame, power operated means for rotating said intermediate section about said main pivot between substantially horizontal and vertical positions, said means for rotating said head and foot sections being operable to make said head and foot sections substantially coplaner with said intermediate section in both said horizontal and vertical positions, an elevator platform, a pair of side plates connected to said platform and each having two rollers connected thereto, said foot section having a U-shaped guide channel on each side thereof, a bridge unit interconnecting said side plates, said rollers being receivable in said channels to position said platform adjacent one face of said foot section and said bridge unit adjacent the other face of said foot section, and a cylinder and piston unit having one end thereof connected to said foot section and the other end thereof connected to said bridge unit, said cylinder and piston unit being sufficiently powerful to raise a patient standing on said platform.

4. A bed comprising a main frame having a longitudinal side runner on each side of the bed, an intermediate frame having a side member on each side of the bed, two pivotally interconnected scissors arms on each side of the bed, one end of one of said scissors arms on each side of the bed being pivotally connected to the adjacent side runner, one end of the other of said arms on each side of the bed being pivotally connected to the adjacent side member, a roller on the other end of each of said scissors arms, each of said side runners and side members having a guide track receiving one of said rollers, said one arm on each side of said bed having its roller engaged in the track of the adjacent side member, said other arm on each side of the bed having its roller engaged in the track on said side runner, a link structure on each side of the bed having one end connected to the pivotal interconnection between the adjacent scissors arms and having its other end pivotally connected to said intermediate frame, a cylinder and piston unit on each side of the bed having one end pivotally connected to said main frame and the other end pivotally connected to said link structure intermediate the ends of the link structure.

5. A bed comprising a frame, a mattress support unit having a head end and a foot end, means pivotally con meeting said mattress support unit to said frame for adjustment to positions in which said mattress support unit is selectively substantially horizontal and substantially vertical, elevator platform means movably connected to said mattress support unit substantially normal thereto and adjacent said foot end thereof, and power operated means for moving said elevator platform along said mattress support unit, said power operated means being sufficiently powerful to raise a patient standing on said platform.

6. A bed comprising a main frame, .an intermediate frame, a mattress support unit pivotally connected to said intermediate frame, means for turning said mattress support unit about said pivotal connection from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, means for moving said intermediate frame relative to said main frame between a raised position and a lowered position, said means for moving said intermediate frame being operable independently of turning movement of said mattress support unit about said pivotal connection, said lowered position of said intermediate frame being such that when said mattress support unit is turned from said horizontal position toward said vertical position, the foot end of the mattress support unit will abut the floor and prevent the mattress support unit from reaching the vertical position, and said raised position of the intermediate frame being such that the foot end of the mattress support unit will not abut the floor before the mattress support unit reaches said vertical position.

7. A bed as claimed in claim 4 in which the pivotal connection between the link structure and the intermediate frame is coaxial with the pivotal connection between said other scissors arm and said adjacent side member, said link structure on each side of the bed comprises a first link. a second link. and a pivot member interconnecting said first and second links.

8. A bed as claimed in claim 7 in which each of said second links is connected between said pivot member and said intermediate frame, and each of said cylinder and piston units is connected to the adjacent one of said second links.

9. A bed as claimed in claim 8 in Which each of said 10 CASMIR A second links has an inverted U-shape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Talarico et al 562 Nelson 566 Hutt 562 Farris 254-122 Larson 254-122 Beitzel 567 NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BED COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME AN INTERMEDIATE FRAME, MEANS CONNECTING SAID INTERMEDIATE FRAME TO SAID MAIN FRAME VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO SAID MAIN FRAME ,A MATTRESS SUPPORT UNIT HAVING A HEAD SECTION, A FOOT SECTION, AND AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION ALL PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, POWER OPERATED MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID HEAD AND FOOT SECTIONS RELATIVE TO SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS, MAIN PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION TO SAID INTERMEDIATE FRAME, POWER OPERATED MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION ABOUT SAID MAIN PIVOT BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS, SAID MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID HEAD AND FOOT SECTIONS BEING OPERABLE TO MAKE SAID HEAD AND FOOT SECTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION IN BOTH SAID HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS, AN ELEVATOR PLATFORM, MEANS MOVABLY CONNECTING SAID PLATFORM TO SAID FOOT SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO AND ADJACENT THE FREE END THEREOF, AND POWER OPERATED MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ELEVATOR PLATFORM ALONG SAID FOOT SECTION TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION, SAID POWER OPERATED MEANS BEING SUFFICIENTLY POWERFUL TO RAISE A PATIENT STANDING ON SAID PLATFORM. 